Skip The Oven And Cook Salmon This Way For Dinner In Half The Time

We're eating more salmon than ever in the United States, and who can blame us? This sweet, flaky fish is ridiculously flexible, pairing beautifully with everything from this tangy spice that serves Middle Eastern flavor to delicious, umami-flavored powerhouse miso. Cooking salmon in the oven can be a minefield, however, as you can't easily be certain it's properly cooked. What you want is a crisp skin and a lightly golden exterior, with interior flesh that is opaque and a slightly darker pink. While experienced cooks can eyeball their fish to ensure they don't overcook it, your air fryer practically removes any such need — and will sort out your salmon in a fraction of the time an oven needs.

Preheat the air fryer to 400 degrees Fahrenheit, pop your fresh, seasoned salmon fillets in the basket (add a couple of lemon wedges if you want), and cook them for 8-10 minutes. You can use a digital thermometer to check for doneness (the recommended internal temperature should reach 158 degrees for 15 seconds), and that's it! Team the fish with a salad or some veggies, and you have a healthy, delicious dinner that can go from fridge to plate in 15 minutes or less.

There are a couple of rules to abide by when air frying your salmon fillets. Don't overcrowd the basket by putting too much fish in at the same time, as the air won't be able to circulate properly and can lead to soggy salmon. Also, try to cook fillets that are of a similar size and thickness for uniform doneness. You can absolutely pop frozen salmon fillets in your air fryer, though they will take a little longer at around 15 minutes. That's enough time to sort out the rest of dinner and still achieve the same stress-free, perfectly cooked results from your fish.

You could also wrap your salmon in foil envelopes (known as cooking en papillote) to capture any juices while your air fryer does its thing. Seal each fillet in a folded square of aluminum with a slice of lemon and maybe a little fresh dill or cilantro inside for a truly mouthwatering plateful. Out of foil? No problem: Sub it for parchment paper, but don't make the mistake of letting it flap around inside the machine. An air fryer liner or layer of paper will also make cleaning out the basket a snip if you use a marinade or glaze on your salmon. When cooking fish is this easy and reliable, you'll definitely be doing it more often!